Hearts 1 Motherwell 0

From ROBERT MARTIN at Tynecastle
Published: 22nd October 2012
0
THEIR wages might not always turn up on time each month.

Thankfully for John McGlynn, Hearts’ big players are more reliable than their bankers.

Danny Grainger’s screamer was enough to dump Well in this entertaining clash.

But it was Marius Zaliukas and Andy Webster who ensured that the points stayed in Gorgie.

Both stoppers were among those told their salaries were delayed last week.

They put that behind them to ensure a win bonus, which will presumably be paid in the future.

Zaliukas ensured the SPL’s top scorer Michael Higdon hardly got a kick.

Webster headed off his own line when Nicky Law thought he had earned Motherwell a point.

Grainger, Andrew Driver and Ryan Stevenson also impressed on a big day for the Jambos.

Between them all they showed Hearts spirit remains strong even while the club’s finances appear to be anything but that.

McGlynn named an unchanged side from the one that lost at Parkhead a fortnight ago.

Well boss McCall was without suspended defender Adam Cummings following his red card against Celtic in their last outing.

That saw Scotland Under-21 international Fraser Kerr come in at right-back, with Simon Ramsden moving into the centre of defence alongside Shaun Hutchinson.

This was Well’s first game in October after their their home clash with Dundee United was postponed because of a power cut. They started with a spark here, Hearts keeper Jamie MacDonald doing well to turn a Jamie Murphy shot around his post with barely a minute on the clock.

But McCall’s men also looked vulnerable when the Jambos hit them on the counter-attack, as they did several times in the opening period.

Hearts’ plan was to utilise the pace of Arvdas Novikovas and Driver on either wing. Both players caused Motherwell problems as the men in maroon burst forward.

Zaliukas’ ball picked out Novikovas on the left hand side of the Well box, but his delivery did not match the quality of the pass. Driver then raced through the middle before laying the ball into the path of Novikovas, who was put off by a last-ditch lunge from Hutchinson.

The defender appeared to catch the Lithuanian, but ref Willie Collum waved play on as the winger tried to stay on his feet.

Driver then curled a decent shot inches past Darren Randolph’s post after Darren Barr had got forward to nod the ball into his path.

The keeper could do nothing with 14 minutes on the clock as Hearts got the goal they so richly deserved.

Grainger picked up the ball just inside the Well half and even he looked surprised at the amount of space he got to move forward into.

From all of 25 yards he lashed a superb effort past keeper Randolph to delight the home crowd. Well regrouped instantly as they set about looking for an immediate reply.

Murphy forced MacDonald into another stop with a curling shot from the edge of the area.

Then Chris Humphrey flashed an effort past the post on the half hour mark.

Driver was shown the game’s first yellow card for bringing down Law on the edge of his own penalty area.

Motherwell also felt they should have had a spot kick when Webster climbed all over Higdon.

But Well survived a scare in the 34th minute when Grainger’s ball picked out Webster unmarked just six yards out.

The Scotland defender was unable to link up with Driver and Well scrambled the ball to safety.

Well were dealt a blow when Hutchinson pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury a minute before the break. That meant a rejig at the back with Stuart Carswell coming on at the start of the second half.

Kerr moved inside to join Ramsden with Tom Hateley switching to right-back and Carswell taking his place in the middle.

Motherwell were almost level just two minutes after the restart.

Humphrey got away from Grainger and fired a low cross into the area but Higdon’s shot was a foot the wrong side of the post.

Ryan Stevenson fired wide of Randolph’s goal in the 52nd minute as the game continued to go from end to end.

Stevenson went even closer with another effort five minutes later as the chances kept coming.

Higdon’s 59th-minute shot was comfortably saved by MacDonald after Humphrey had caught Grainger dithering in possession.

Zaliukas was booked soon after for a foul on Keith Lasley as Well looked to break forward once more. McGlynn threw on former Well striker John Sutton for Novikovas on the hour mark, with Callum Paterson moving out to the right wing.

Sutton came close to adding to Hearts’ lead in the 68th minute when he deflected Barr’s header past the post.

But as the half wore on it was Motherwell who were on the front foot.

Humphrey’s 75th-minute cross was nodded back across goal by Higdon into the path of Law.

Webster had sensed the danger and dropped back to head the midfielder’s effort off the line as keeper MacDonald struggled to get across.

The interception proved to be vital as the Jambos held on to record only their third win of a so far disappointing league campaign.

Not even a desperate late surge forward from Well keeper Randolph at an injury-time corner could earn his side a share of the spoils.